The present invention relates generally to the field of human medical prosthetics and, more particularly, to a human prosthesis for physiologically and artifically activating and maintaining the penal erection state in human males.
Generally speaking, stimulation of the specific human brain centers associated with sexual response elicits the firing of autonomic nerve impluses which have an effect upon the human male's genitalia. Apparently, upon the receipt of these nerve impulses, a vascularization which increases the blood flow into the penis and/or a concurrent vaso-constriction of a blood net at the base of the human penis which rstricts the flow of blood from said structure, causes a dilation and expansion of the penal vascular system. This resultant increased inflow, i.e. controlled hydraulic action and controlled restricted outflow of blood within the penis causes an enlargement or erection of the penis. However, in some case, for various reasons such as the mental inability to elicit such nervous activation and/or the physical inability to cause increased vascularization and/or vaso-constriction of the blood network which would naturally result in the erection state, some human males are temporarily or permanently unable to achieve this physiological condition. This will have obvious adverse psychological and/or marital implications.
As a result of this problem, many proposed solutions have been introduced in the prior art which may be generally classified as either surgical or uncontrollable artificial rigid prosthesis devices. In the surgical devices an artificial prosthesis is inserted, i.e. implanted directly into the interior of the penis. This inserted member may take the form of a semi-rigid rod or as an inflatable column; however, both surgical solutions involve the implantation of the respective device into the male anatomical structure, a solution which most males find intimidating. Furthermore, such prior art surgical solutions have additional deficiencies limiting their use such as: (1) the semi-rigid member always remaining in the erect state; and (2) the inflatable member having a high susceptibility to mechanical failure. This latter problem invariably requires subsequent revisional surgery. Thus the surgical prior art solutions have proven undesirable and do not provide a popular or viable solution to the impotency problem.
The prior art non-surgical prosthetic devices are of three types (1) spring clip devices; (2) rigid or stretchable band devices; and (3) exo-skeletal devices. The spring clip devices attempt to invoke a vaso-constrictive effect by a simple clamping of the penis. However, these devices generally apply sufficient pressure to restrict blood flow so as achieve the desired erect physiological state. In contrast, if the clips are modified or designed to achieve the desired vaso-constrictive functions, the constrictive pressure applied may cause pain to the user as well as restrict seminal flow. As a result, this device does not provide a viable solution to the problem presented.
The second prior art type prosthetic device generally suffers from the same deficiencies as the first prior art type devices in that they are uncomfortable or ineffective. In addition, there are generally no means to vary nor quickly release the amount of restrictive pressure to be applied. Furthermore, if a variable pressure is achieveable, there is no means to effectively reproduce the amount of varied constrictive pressure applied.
Finally, in the last type of prior art prosthetic device, the penis is inserted into a rigid sheath which directly provides the mechanical structural support. However, this type of prior art device suffers from the deficies of: (1) a total loss of penile tactile sensations as a result of the encapsulation of the user's penis; (2) irritation to the user's genitalia resulting from frictional forces within the exo-skeletal structure; and (3) the restriction or elimination of the ejaculation resulting from the the enclosure of the user's penis. Modifications to this type of prior art device which provide for openings at both ends of the tubular structure or provide an inflatable insert to maintain structural attachment to the user's penis still require sufficient length to provide the mechanical support to simulate the erect state. The tactile penile sensations experienced by the user are generally non-existent. Thus, the prior art devices do not provide a viable solution to the impotency problem.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a device which artifically simulates the natural biological functions of the human physiology so as to elicit an erection state in the human male and subsequently control and maintain the erection state throughout intercourse without having to resort to surgery and/or undesirable rigid uncontrollable exo-skeletal prior art devices.